Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-08
a STROLL DOWN BROADWAY.
The Faces That Have Disappeared
Prom the streets.

rom the streets.
NEW YORK. March 5.-Once upon a
time-I guess in ISL wrote a sketch OF
an sfter5oo1 stroll 1 had taken along
Broadway, and told OF the famous New
Workers net between Union square and
the Battery. 1t needed quite roll TO take
them all in, and l will not Try TO give It.
But few days ago. while again going
over the same ground, l was struck with
the fact that notionly had all these celeb
rites disappeared, but that their vacant
places had not been taken by others or
equal renown.
Irecall, for example, the foremost OF
our American poets. William Cullen
Bryant. whose slight figure and stern face
were often seen on the sunny side as be
stepped along with light iaunty air,
though then almost an octogenarlan, a
poet who, before be was %, gave US
~Ihanatopsis," and after he was -
poem yet more majestic. When, few
days ago, l again strolled along Broad
way ] met two or three rhymsters aud
versliers whose MANUSCRIPTS had often
handled; but ia your pedestrian tour OF
Broadway last Monday you might have
scanned every face from the Central Park
to Castle Garden without meeting another
sucn poet as the venerable Bryant, who,
born under the Presidency OF George
Washington, died during the term OF
President Hayes.
L recall on Broadway that old-time
afternoon, the slouching gait, bland face
aud llLrtting garments OF Horace Gree
ley. then running as candidate for PTesi-
| dent and on the very verge OF the tragedy
which ended his brave career. Nowadays.
any sunny afternoon, you may chance to
/ see on Broadway a half dozen enterpris-
ing editors Of our daily press: but where
among them all, from the Union League to
| Trinity Church. will you meet suoh an
! other moral giant "a he was.
recall near Union square that day, as
be moved heavily and slowly along, the
massive frame and scowling face OF the
| areatest Of American trsgedians. Edwin
| Forrest, whom | first saw as Hamlet and
| last saw es Lear. aud whose stormy
| career was the natural outgroWth of his
| tenn Destuous soul. The other day, near
/ the same locality, along the plaza Of
| Union square, ] saw a contingent OF that
| mob of "play-actors" who are forever
looking for engagements as comedy or
| tragedy men. Smart fellows, no doubt,
! many Of them are; but where in all your
| travels, from the Harlem river TO the har-
| Dor, will you find any American actor who
| could ''bold candle" 70 the unapproach-
| able Edwin Forrest!
/ recall from the day Of that stroll in
1872 the handsome figure, aspiring face
| and graceful step of William Page, the
| tubular head of American art, as
| President of the Academy OF Design,
| whose elevated genius gave us Moses and
| Shakespeare, and who, before his death,
| took Divinity itself for his theme. Page
| of whom Lowell once gayly sang, and
| whose life went out in gloom on Staten
| island but few years ago. In these our
/ days as one strolls along Broadway, he
I m w 40
| score; but no sucn genius as Page can be
seen turning into Tenth street on his way
| to the Studio building,
| l recall to memory the self-a bsorbed
mien OF Thurlow Weed near Twelfth
street, where he lived; and the sharpest
| politician who tOddles over the pavement
| TO day looks no bigger than a gOslIng IN
| der the shadow of that boss political man.
/ ager of yesterday.
/ recall the patriarchal aspect Of Peter
| Cooper IN his old one-horse cab that SUM-
ny afternoon; and the imposing presence
of the "cosmIc bard" Walt Whitman,
on top OF an omnibus; and A. T. Stewart,
the spruce millionaire, whose bones have
since become one Of the mysteries of New
York; and Harry Clapp, the Bohemian
| King of Pfaf's, the wierdest face on the
most shriveled anatomy, oblivious of the
world and himself. And yet others less
| renowned met on the crowded trOttoir
that sunny autumn afternoon a few years
back.
repeat my regret that when, the other
day, again strolled along Broadway
did not cbaEce to meet such intellectual
celebrities as have just spoken of, though
| | did meet score Of heavy milliOnalres
between Madison square and Wall
| street, and hundred thousand anxious
faced, hurrying pedestrians, lookin z
| as il they were pursued by the dollar
OF which they are in pursuit.
| JOHN SWINTON.